


This Is Your Birthday Song (It Isn’t Very Long)

by AyraBelle



Series: Mutual Weirdness [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Happy Birthday Prompto!, birthday fic, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:06:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16407296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyraBelle/pseuds/AyraBelle
Summary: Happy birthday to my beautiful good good sunshine boy.





	This Is Your Birthday Song (It Isn’t Very Long)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to my beautiful good good sunshine boy.

When Prompto turned six his parents gave him a cupcake with a candle and sang to him before he unwrapped his new camera. When he was seven, he got a cupcake with a candle. On his eighth birthday it was just a cupcake in the fridge with a note to have a good evening. By the time his ninth birthday was a week past they hadn’t been home in months and Prompto was pretty sure that they had forgotten him.

On Prompto’s tenth birthday they sat him down and told him that they were moving to Accordo. Without him.

When Prompto looked at his phone after crying at the prospect of being left completely alone, he glared at the date.

‘Happy birthday to me…’

~

October twenty fifth is bright and crisp, Prompto’s favorite weather. He’s long since stopped caring about his birthday, but it is always nice when the universe gives him a small gift.

His morning run goes smoothly, and it’s a Friday so he doesn’t have to sit in history and pretend to want to learn. He just can’t get his head around the subject.

As he’s walking to school, Promto takes plenty of pictures of weird leaves and pretty trees to show to Noctis. He still can’t quite believe that he’s friends with the Prince, but he enjoys when he can get a relaxed, genuine smile out of the guy and something that helps him pull that off is when he shows off his pictures.

‘Hey, Noct!’ he calls out as he approaches, waving to his friend. Noctis turns to greet him with a small smile, and Prompto can feel his own smile widening. ‘Look at this awesome shot I got!’

‘You take great pictures every day,’ Noctis tells him, leaning in to look at the picture Prompto is showing off. It’s a leaf, caught between two slabs of sidewalk and pointing straight up. ‘This is beautiful, Prom.’

‘Thanks!’ Prompto beams, walking alongside Noctis as they make their way to their first class.

They don’t have any work that needs to be done that evening, so after school the decision is made to go to the arcade. Prompto doesn’t put up too much of a fight when Noctis buys his tokens only because he needs to claim the game that they want to play. It’s a co-op game, and they are on a mission to get the top score.

‘On your right!’

‘Get that power up!’

‘Oh gods, cover me – I’m trapped.’

They are laser focused – concentrating only on the game for a solid hour as they burn through tokens. It looks like it’s not going to be their day when suddenly it happens.

At the end of their final run-through, the screen changes – asking them to enter their initials. Glancing at Prompto, Noctis puts in PANC and they’re greeted by the best screen ever.

‘High Score! PANC – 31,049’

Prompto can only stare for a moment, but that it quickly broken when he launches at Noctis. ‘We did it!’

A small crowd has gathered around them to watch, and they are applauding when Prompto and Noctis leave the console. Prompto spots Gladio giving them a thumbs up and grins back. All in all, it’s been a great birthday.

~

A year later, Noctis decides that he and Prompto are going to celebrate the fact that Noctis now has his drivers’ license by getting out of the city.

‘Clear your schedule for this weekend,’ he tells Prompto. ‘We’re going to go somewhere.’

‘Where are we going?’ Prompto asks, schedule already cleared because his boss noticed that it was his birthday and didn’t schedule him at all.

‘It’s a surprise.’

Prompto just raises an eyebrow, but he trusts his friend and goes with it. ‘Ok. Anything I need to prepare for?’

‘Just be ready to be outside on Saturday.’

As ordered, Prompto is ready to go Saturday morning – dressed warmly and ready to walk. He still has no idea where they are going, so he is idly playing with his camera when Noctis pulls up to the curb. He smiles and skips to the passenger door, sliding in. ‘Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?’

Noctis just raises an eyebrow before focusing on the road as he pulls away from Prompto’s house. ‘You’re impatient today.’

Prompto sticks out his tongue. ‘And you’re secretive.’

They drive in a companionable silence, Prompto taking pictures and Noctis bobbing his head along to the music on the radio. As they leave the city limits, their tail becomes more obvious and Prompto is pretty sure he sees Gladio in the car following them.

Noctis notices him looking behind them. ‘Don’t worry, it’s a small team and I convinced Gladio to not be too overbearing.’

Prompto shrugs. ‘It’s not a big deal to me – I know they’re there to keep you safe.’

Noctis frowns but seems to accept it, going back to listening to the music. Prompto takes pictures and is so distracted by the scenery that he almost misses the sign.

‘Whoa, there’s a whole ranch dedicated to chocobos! We should look that up when we get back – maybe come back out here sometime.’ When he looks at Noctis, there is a wry smile on his friend’s face and he doesn’t say anything as he turns the car in the direction that the chocobo ranch sign tells them to go. Prompto feels himself start vibrating. ‘Wait – are we going to a chocobo ranch?’

Noctis laughs. ‘Good surprise?’

Prompto can’t say anything as they pull into the parking area – he is entirely too distracted by the yellow birds that are milling about and he is out the door almost before Noctis has even stopped the car properly.

‘Noct! Look!’ Prompto is dashing between birds, petting each one and beaming. He hears Noctis and Gladio laughing at him, but he can’t be bothered to care when he’s finally getting to see real live chocobos.

The day progresses in much the same fashion – Prompto bounces around the ranch and Noctis follows with a smile. He even buys Prompto a shirt – nine chocobo chicks, one black and the rest yellow, on a maroon shirt. Prompto adores it. He takes so many pictures that his memory card starts to warn him that it’s running out of space, and the entire drive back he chatters away to a grinning Noctis about everything.

As he is putting his new shirt away, Prompto sighs happily. This has been his best birthday yet.

(Weeks later and across the city, Ignis is making dinner for himself and Noctis when a thought strikes. ‘Oh, Noct, I’ve been meaning to ask – how did Prompto enjoy his birthday present?’

Noctis looks up from his math homework, bewildered. ‘His what now?’

‘His birthday present,’ Ignis repeats, carrying the plates of food to the table. ‘Your trip to the chocobo ranch – it was his birthday present, was it not?’

Noctis drops his pencil. ‘What? No. His birthday’s not till… till…’ Noctis trails off, face growing horrified as he realizes that he doesn’t actually know when his best friend’s birthday is.

‘It was a month ago,’ Ignis informs him. ‘The day of the trip, in fact. It was a very thoughtful gift.’

Noctis can only stare, Ignis’s words barely penetrating, when he’s suddenly scrambling for his phone, pulling up Prompto’s contact and hitting call.)

Prompto snorts when he sees Noctis’s name on his caller ID. ‘I told you that you would be calling for help before the evening was over. Which one are you stuck on?’

For a moment it’s quiet and Prompto is about to make sure that the call didn’t disconnect when Noctis speaks. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

Prompto’s stomach drops. ‘What?’ he manages to squeak. He knows something – Prompto doesn’t know what Noctis has found out but he did.

‘I had to find out from my royal advisor when your birthday was, only to discover that it was a whole month ago. Why didn’t you tell me?’

Noctis sounds distraught, but Prompto could dance. In the grand scheme of things that he doesn’t want to worry Noctis about, this is the smallest deal. ‘Oh geez, I’m sorry – I don’t really care about my birthday, so I forgot to tell you.’

(Miles away, Prince and Advisor share raised eyebrows over the phone on the table as that explanation comes from the speaker.)

‘You don’t care? What does that mean?’

Prompto shrugs, even though he realizes that Noctis can’t see that. ‘It’s just another day, it’s not that big of a deal. Don’t feel bad – you got me a great gift! And you didn’t even realize it! You’re the best.’

It is silent for another moment and Prompto can practically feel Noctis’s confusion radiating through the call connection. ‘Are you sure? I feel terrible that I didn’t even know. We could still celebrate.’

‘My family doesn’t really celebrate birthdays,’ Prompto explains. And he only counts his family to be himself anymore, so he’s not even lying. ‘I promise it’s not a big deal, I’m sorry if I made you upset by not telling you. Anyways, I’m at work so I gotta go – good luck on the math homework, I’ll let you know when my shift is done if you still need help!’

(Miles away, Prince rants to his advisor about his ridiculous best friend. Advisor listens patiently and makes a note of the birthday for the future.)

~

When he wakes up with a stomach ache, Prompto thanks each Astral individually that his birthday is on a Sunday this year – there is no way he would have been able to get himself moving and to Crownsguard training on time today.

He takes his medicine and heads downstairs to watch TV and wait for it to kick in. It doesn’t take long, but it also doesn’t take him five minutes to pour a bowl of cereal so the wait is made better by having something else to focus on. He makes it all the way to the top of the staircase before he registers that there is sound coming from the first floor, and that the house smells amazing.

Trying to work out why a burglar would take the time to listen to music and make breakfast while robbing the place, Prompto grabs the bat and holds it aloft as he creeps down the stairs. When he peeks into the kitchen, though, Ignis is standing there. The bat clangs against the ground when Prompto lowers it and that draws Ignis’s attention.

‘Ah, good morning, Prompto,’ Ignis greets him calmly, as though he often breaks into people’s homes to use their kitchens. ‘I thought I would make you a nice breakfast before the day’s festivities began. Happy birthday.’

Prompto feels his face split in a grin. ‘Thanks, Iggy! It smells amazing.’ He deposits the bat against the wall and sits at the table, stomach pain forgotten (the miracle of modern medicine) and ready to enjoy. ‘Though, how did you get in?’

Ignis smirks as he places a plate of bacon in front of him. ‘Your spare key was not difficult to find, especially since I have seen you need to use it on numerous occasions when dropping you off.’

Prompto snorts. ‘Fair enough.’ An omelette is placed in front of him and, after Ignis sits down with his own meal, Prompto digs right in.

‘I didn’t know that you played baseball,’ Ignis remarks after a few minutes of silent eating.

Confused, Prompto looks up at Ignis who nods at the bat leaning against the wall. Prompto has to concentrate to not spit out his delicious bite of omelette when he laughs. ‘No, dude, that’s not mine. I think Lydia played softball or something, I just use it when I feel like I need a little protection.’

Ignis tilts his head slightly. ‘Have you not received access to the Armiger yet?’

Prompto shakes his head, swallowing another bite before speaking. ‘Not yet, Noct said something about paperwork.’

‘Hm, well I will check into that – we have scheduled your ceremony, and you will need to have access before that point.’

‘Thanks!’ Prompto smiles, finishing off his breakfast. ‘Thanks again for the food; I’ll take care of the dishes since you’re probably busy today.’

‘Nonsense, it is your birthday. Besides, I believe that Noctis has plans for your day – he should be here any moment.’ As if summoned by Ignis’s words, Noctis barrels into the house at full speed. He careens slightly off of the doorway, giving Prompto and Ignis time to share a look of fond amusement, before he makes it over to Prompto and envelops him in a hug.

‘Happy birthday! I forgot to eat breakfast so I’m stealing your bacon. Go get changed – we’ve got places to be.’

Prompto grins at Ignis’s frown – he is sure that Ignis left food for Noctis at his own apartment but apparently Noctis had just ignored that entirely. ‘Where are we going?’ he asks Noctis, standing up and taking his plate to the sink.

‘It’s a birthday surprise,’ Noctis informs him around a mouthful of bacon. Prompto rolls his eyes but goes along with it, changing into his favorite chocobo shirt and some jeans. Noctis calls up to not forget his camera, so he grabs that as well before walking back down the stairs.

For as busy as Noctis is making it seem like their day would be, apparently his plans just consist of wandering around the Citadel grounds with Gladio and eventually Ignis – allowing Prompto to take as many pictures as he wanted. They have a picnic lunch and then as it gets later Prompto notices Noctis looking at his watch every few minutes.

‘Got a hot date?’ he jokes, feeling nervous that the answer might be yes. His crush on his best friend has not receded, but he prides himself that it is at least still hidden from Noctis.

Noctis snorts. ‘Yeah, right. I just want to make sure that we’re not late to the next stage of the plan.’

Prompto’s eyes widen. ‘There’s a next stage?’

‘Of course! And it’s time – let’s go.’

Prompto can only follow as Noctis leads the way into the Citadel building. A number of people call out to them – Prompto has spent a lot of time here by now (he’s training to be in the Crownsguard for Shiva’s sake) and a lot of people know him. But as much time as he has spent at the Citadel, he has never been to the part that they are walking through now.

‘So, uh,’ Noctis starts awkwardly. ‘You’ve been approved to get access to the Armiger. And as lame of a birthday present as this is – I wanted to give you access as your present. That way you’ll feel save and not need to rely on a baseball bat to protect yourself.’

Prompto is stunned. He can’t believe that Noctis remembers when Prompto got beat up much less that he had hunted for Lydia’s bat after that just to feel secure again. ‘I… you…’

Noctis grins, still awkward. ‘It’s a kinda weird thing that I need to do – it’s all based on tradition and stuff and I’m sure Iggy can tell you all about it if you’re interested.’

Prompto just tilts his head, entering the elevator with Noctis and raising an eyebrow at Ignis and Gladio’s smirks as they wait outside and the doors close. He turns to Noctis, who is blushing slightly. ‘Uh.’

Noctis shakes his head and faces Prompto. ‘Just, stand still a moment.’

Prompto complies, and suddenly Noctis is kissing Prompto on the forehead. He can dimly feel the magic flowing and he knows that he should be focusing on that so that he can work with Cor during training – but his entire focus is on the fact that his crush is kissing him.

When Noctis steps away, he is red and Prompto can feel his face flaming as well. ‘So, yeah. Now you can access the Armiger.’

Prompto knows that he would only squeak if he tries to talk now, so he just nods and focuses on controlling his breath.

They make it to their floor and the doors open to a small room – outside of which is the entirety of Insomnia. Prompto can feel his jaw drop – they’re at the top of the Citadel.

Noctis laughs. ‘Yeah, I know that you’ve wanted to come up here for a while so Gladio got your clearance all settled – you can come up here and take pictures whenever you want now.’

Prompto breathes out all of his air in a rush. ‘Oh gods, this is amazing.’

‘Well go ahead – snap away.’

The rest of the evening is spent on the roof – another picnic and a cake supplied by Ignis, many pictures taken, and enjoying the company and the scenery.

Prompto smiles as they all watch the sun set together. He still doesn’t really care about his birthday, but having friends that do is the best present he has ever received.

**Author's Note:**

> The kiss giving access to the Armiger is from [Salad Days by chikelo](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12083325?view_full_work=true) \- I really like that as a concept and borrowed it.
> 
> [Shirt is by rah-bob](https://www.redbubble.com/people/rah-bop/works/27953086-chicks?p=classic-tee) who designed it based on shirt designs in [Running Behind by Asidian](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10869282?view_full_work=true). I own one. I love it very very much.
> 
> I has a [tumblr](http://ayrabelle.tumblr.com/).


End file.
